Vault-light frame



' UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. FRENCH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

VAULT-LIGHT FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,067, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed July 9, 1889. Serial No. 316,918. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. FRENCH, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vault-Light Frames and Similar Structures, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore in the construction of so-called vault-lights and similar structures it has been common to construct a frame provided with inwardly-extending flanges nearits lower edge, upon which the tiles are placed, and to extend between the said flanges cross-bars which were broadened upon their upper sides to a considerable width and had strengthening-ribs extending across them on their under sides. The cross-bars thus constructed were therefore T-shaped, and certain of the edges of each of the tiles intermediate of the ends of the frame rested upon a portion of the broadened top of the cross-bars by which it was supported upon those edges. The broadening of the top of the cross-bars in order to aiford sufficient seats for the tiles has been found objectionable, for the reason that it materially excludes the light. An effort has been made to obviate this difficulty, but heretofore without material success' It is the object of my improvement to obviate this difliculty to a great extent.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan or top view partly broken away to save space, and showing a vault-light or similar structure embodying my improvement. Fig.

2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof,

taken on the line as :0, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the tiles removed. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line y 1 Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference design ate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the frame, preferably made of iron and here shown as rectangular, but may be of any desired shape. It comprises a rim a and inwardly-extending flanges a upon the lower inner edge of the rim a.

B designates tiles. These tiles may be of plain glass, or they may be set with bulls eyes, or may be of any other desired construction.

Ext-ending between the side flanges a at certain distances are T-shaped cross-bars C. These cross-bars have broadened top portions 0 and strengthening-ribs 0 upon the lower sides of the broadened top portions. Intermediate of any two of the cross-bars O, and also intermediate of the cross-bars O nearer the ends of the frame A and the flanges a at the ends of the frame, are cross-bars D. From the cross-bars D the broadened top portions 0 are wholly omitted. WVhen placed upon the frame, the tiles B rest upon the flanges a upon at least two of their edges and upon at least one of the cross-bars C, while they rest at about midway in their lengths upon the cross-bars D. The only obstruction of the light therefor which occurs between any two of the cross-bars O, or between the cross-bars O and the ends of the frame, is that which is occasioned by the cross-bars D, and this, owing to the absence of the broadened portions 0, is very slight. I am enabled, also, by this means to use very large tiles properly supported at distances between their edges which rest upon the T-shaped cross-bars by the nar row bars D, with almost no obstruction of the light, whereas if none but the T-shaped crossbars were used a very material portion of light would be excluded.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is g In a vault-light or similar structure, the combination, with a frame provided with inwardly-extending flanges near its lower edge, of T-shaped cross-bars extending between said flanges, intermediate narrow cross-bars made integral with the frame, and tiles supported upon said flanges and the said crossbars, the intermediate narrow cross-bars supporting the tiles between the ends of the latter, substantially as specified.

JAMES C. FRENCH. \Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, D. H. HAYWOOD. 

